Flooring for Carport, Hanging Cages

[feraltydreaming]

Good evening, everyone.

I am working on a new rabbitry setup at present. The cages will be hanging cages and will be under a 30x30 carport (perhaps a bit larger). The carport gets shade and sunlight. It remains dry unless a sever rain occurs but, even then, it dries within a few hours even in overcast conditions.

Right now, this carport has basic gravel as a base and the ground is somewhat uneven. I am looking at using rubber stall mats as a floor to keep the ground from becoming a disgusting mess of rabbit manure and urine. I am curious if this would be a good idea? I have used stall mats in horse stalls before and they worked fine, but I am not sure how well they will work in a more outside environment where the gravel can shift (I think?). There are poles that surround this carport, obviously, so I could make sure that the mats had something solid to rest against, but I am just not certain if there will still be too much shifting. In thinking about using the stall mats, I am also wondering what could be used to bind the seems together to avoid leakage. This is making me think that I need a surface that is all one piece, but I am not sure where to find a piece of rubber that large. Any ideas?

Also, if this would not work, can anyone offer any other ideas? I am wanting to put some kind of flooring down that can be cleaned daily (swept with a push broom and/or sprayed with a hose without shifting) and that will be weather tolerant.

Thank you for your consideration.

Oh, before I forget, if applicable, please try to include pictures. If you need pictures of the carport and ground, let me know and I can update this post tomorrow.

Respectfully,
Feralty

 

[bobqdevon]

I remember reading somewhere that you can take regular concrete bag mix and mix it with extra dirt and pour it down on the floor to make a "cheap" concrete floor... I think it was in a chicken raising book. I'll see if I can find it again.

Did you also consider hanging galvanized roofing under your cages on an angle, and having that run into a gutter, and then to a bucket? That's what we are doing in our garage, so there's no mess on the floor at all. runs down the "pans", into the gutter, and in the bucket. Spray down the pans into the gutter, spray down the gutter into the bucket, and take the bucket out to dump.

 

[feraltydreaming]

Thank you for the suggestion, Bobqdevon.

I have been told a few times that the gutters end up smelling horrid even if they are cleaned out daily. Because I am rather close proximity to another's home, I would like to keep down smell as much as possible, hence why I was thinking of a floor that could be completely cleaned each day, twice a day, when i went out to contend with the rabbits. Obviously, time will not allow such all of the time but, in general, it is much easier to ask someone to spray off a floor than it is to ask them to contend with a gutter/bucket system if I do have to ask someone else to take care of the rabbits for a day or so.

Respectfully,
Feralty

 

[SatinsRule]

Bob, that is exactly what I indend to do when I get my own place and build my setup.

 

[Dood]

I need a bit of clarity.

Will you also be using trays or some sort if bedding/absorbant material or do you plan for the feces and urine to fall straight on to the mat?

If you simply sweep up the feces and hose off the mat then you are just moving the urine to the edges which will quickly become a stinky mess surrounding the rabbits.

I think the mat will work well, I use one for my sheep and mini pigs stalls but you need to have something to absorb the urine and sweep this up and bag it as well. I use peat moss and shovel the wastes into feed bags which are then sold as fertilizer or used in my own garden. Unlike other manures, rabbit poop can be dumped right onto plants but since I have the urine in there as well I let the bags 'cook' in the sun a week or two so the urine is not so caustic.

Some of the horse mats on the market have a 'tongue and groove' edge so they overlap at the seams, I'm not sure if you have the tools to modify yours.

A barn I once worked at used tire inner tubes cut into strips that were 4 inches wide and glued to the mats along the seams.

 

[feraltydreaming]

Thank you, Dood.

To clarify, I was going to use a neutralizing/drying agent on the mat/mats to deal with the urine...something like stall dry, the pelletted sawdust, etc.

Where would you get tire innertube pieces like that, Dood? If you know that is.

I do not suppose anyone would know where I can get the stall mats or just one large piece of rubber at a cheaper price? I was hoping to pay less than $40 per 4x6 stall mat, but I am not sure if that is going to happen.

Feel free to keep tossing out ideas questions.

Respectfully,
Feralty

 

[Dood]

Tractors and semi trucks still have tubes in their tires so any mechanic who works on those vehicles should have blown ones that are junked rather than patched or you could buy new
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/s ... nner-tubes

There are many types of livestock mats - these are long and about 4 feet wide - http://www.cowmatscanada.com/aisleway/runners-rolls/

 

[zee]

Have you considered using 55 gallon plastic barrels cut in half lengthwise and use the halved containers to catch the pee and poo in underneath the cages? You could throw some red wiggler worms or some African night crawler worms in there to make yourself some Wonderful compost for your garden or to share or sell to other gardners. You wouldn't have to worry about cleanup or smells. People pay good money for this compost. Just a suggestion.

 

[TwoAcreDream]

I just got done putting my rabbits into the addition on our garage.
Dirt floor. Hubby was not happy about me putting them there.
He has big concerns about the smell. Especially in the summer.
I also have a few bunnies in the chicken coop, hanging units.
Barricaded on top to keep the chickens off the cages.

In the additon, I have to protect the dirt floor, from the pee/poop.
I bought some used 24 by 24 inch trays for drop pans.
But the light bulb moment happened when I decided to use those big
plastic dog crates for the drop pans. Use the bottom as is, and
turn the top half, upside down for another drop pan.
I have 24 by 30 inch wire cages sitting on them. The 30 inch side
is the front where the feed dish, water dish, and hay rack is.
I am leaving some of the plastic dog crates as is, for maternity pens.
That way if the doe does not have the babies, in the nest boxes,
I stand a better chance of saving them.
I am using a large plastic tote to dump the drop pans in and then
transfer that to the garden. The big half crates, I will have to
figure out how to move that poop without making a mess.
Plan is in summer to move everyone outside in cages.
And build a cheap bunny barn

All my cages, crates, drop pans, etc have been bought used this fall.
If I want to play with bunnies, I have to stay in budget.
Plan is to build my own cages using old rolls of 1x1 inch wire I have.
Then I can sell off the used cages I bought.